Junction-board.



H. & R. HODGSON 6L J. GLAZBROOK.

JUNCTION BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, |912.

Patented. 11.13118, 1915.

,beve/22015 Harald @ysa/a UNITED sTaisEs PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD HODGSON, BOY HODGSON, AND JOHN GLAZBBOOK, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

J UN CTION-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it-known that we, HAROLD HooGsoN, Roy HoDGsoN, and JOHN GLAzBRooK, subjects of the Kingof England, and residents of the city of Chicagohcounty of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful `Improvements in Junction- Boards, of which the following is a specication.

Our invention relates to junction boards, that is to devices designed for employment in connecting the terminals of wires at the junctures of line and branch circuits.'

Our invention consists in a junction board which is especially designed for use in the construction of sleeping cars in which each section may be provided with an electric fan, a center light and a head and foot light in each berth. In such sleeping cars there are ordinarily four complete main circuits to accommodate such electric appliances, one circuit for the electric fans, one-circuit for the center lights, one circuit for the lightsin the upper berth and one circuit for the lights in the lower berth. In the present construction branch circuits accommodating these appliances are joined to the main circuit at each section, by means of the conventional splice and solder and protected with the usual insulating material. When it is necessary to test any particular branch circuit it is necessary to take the insulating material from the connection and sever the connection. With our device, a junction board is placed in a convenient portion of the panel of such section, and the main circuit cut and connected by means of bus bars to which are connected the branch circuits as is fully described hereinafter.

The object of our invention is the production of a junction board of the character mentioned, which will be of improved construction and efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Our invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which, v

Figure 1 is a plan view of a junction board embodying our invention, Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a section taken on line a: of Fig. 1.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a board or body. 1 which is formed of a suitable insulating material, such as ber. The

board 1 is of rectangular form and is com paratively thin, one side thereof being formed with a plurality. of spaced parallelly extending grooves 2. Arranged in the grooves 2 are elongated rectangular metallic bus bars 3 of dimensions suchv as to adapt the same to snugly fit the grooves 2, said bars being of a length corresponding with that of the corresponding dimension of the board 1. The bus bars 3 are secured in position in the grooves 2 by means of screws 4:

'a lock-nut 7, the latter serving, as will be understood, to secure the former in operative or binding position. Provided intermediate the extremities of each of the bars 3 is a binding post, the intermediate binding posts being provided for connection with the branch circuit wires. Each of the intermediate binding posts is of a construction identical with that of the terminal binding posts above described, the stud 5 and nuts 6 and 7 corresponding with the stud 5 and nuts 6 and 7, respectively.

Provided upon the board 1 at the corners thereof, are short bars 8 embedded therein in the same manner as the bars 3, the bars 8 being secured in position by screws 9. Upon each of the bars 8 is provided a binding post 10 which is of a construction the same as that of the terminal and intermediate binding posts of the bus bars just described. The binding posts 10 are provided to accommodate the insertion of an individual switch, not shown, in each branch circuit. It is designed to lead one of the wires of each branch circuit from its binding post 5 to its corresponding fixture, then to a binding post 10, then to the individual switch and finally back to the proper binding post 5 to complete the branch circuit. From this arrangement it will be seen that each fixture and its individual switch may be tested separately from the junction board.

In use, the board 1 is secured in operative position by bolts, screws, or similar securing devices, the same being provided with perforations 11 for the accommodation of said securing devices.

with a @neuen board (if-tte' ensgrugtign set forth, 1t will be seen that the branchv circuit wires will be connected with the line circuit wires in such a mannerthat disconnection thereof 1s rendered convenient and easy, this being eiected byl simply unscrew' ing the nuts 6` and 7, or the liney wires" themselves may be disconnected by unscrew' in nuts 6 and 7.

use, the bus *bars B'iare divided into pairs and connected in the four circuitsby means of bindingy lposts 5, in a man.' ner such, as` reading from the left hand side of lTigs. ll'and 2, the first and second bus bars 3 are connected in one4 main circuit, the third andV fourth ybus barsl 3 are connected 1 in another main circuit, the fth and sixth bus bars are connected in another main circuit and theseventh and eighth bus bars are connected in the remaining main circuit. The branch circuits` are connected to the corresponding lmain `circuits by means of the f binding post l5 as already explained. The

four vmain circuits are provided so that a separate maincircuit will run through the car for the center lights, electric fans, lights for the upper berth and lights :for the lower 'i berth.. This is desirable for the reason'that separate switches may be provided to con trol each main circuit. The branch circuits areeach nrovided with an individual switch, as explained, so' that each individual fixture may be cut out when so desired.

in," While' wehaveillistratedad dei-scribed lthe preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into eiect, this is .capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention.

" We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to co-plaar; screws securing each bus bar to y said base, and binding posts secured to and extending outwardly from said bus bars, there being one binding post at each end of each bar, and one binding post intermediate the ends thereof, substantially as described. In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' HAROLD HODGSON.

ROY HODGSON. JOHN GLAZBROOK.

. '.Witnessesz JOSHUA H. lo'rrs,

BRAYTON G. Rxomnns. 

